An Unlikely Alliance
by MyShadowReturnz
Summary: She had to admit, his behavior was strange, but she did not have time to analyze the bizarre antics of Draco Malfoy. She had to get out of the castle, and fast. With complete disregard of her uneasy feelings, Hermione marched passed Malfoy and made her way down the corridor. To her utter amazement, he followed.
1. Darkness Prevails

Silence had fallen over the grounds of Hogwarts.

Ever since Voldemort had called back his Death Eaters, the patrons of the school had been busy collecting the bodies of the fallen and transporting them to the Great Hall. Uncertain of what should be done with the bodies of dead Death Eaters, considering that no one had come to claim them and it did not look as though anyone ever would, Headmistress McGonagall decided it was tacky to simply leave them lying where they fell. It was also tasteless to have them laying next to the fallen defenders of Hogwarts. It was for these reasons that she assigned Professor Flitwick and Professor Wood to levitating the bodies to a nice space of grass near the lake until something else could be done with them.

The castle had sustained substantial damage; Walls and staircases had been blasted to bits and large chunks of rubble littered the corridors. The foyer itself was almost unrecognizable: the glass chandelier had shattered into thousands of glittering shards, and a broken column blocked half of the room from use. The stone giants that Headmistress McGonagall had brought to life knelt motionlessly in front of the entrance like silent protectors, but could be brought back to life at any moment should the need arise.

Hermione made her way through the Great Hall glancing over the lifeless bodies that lined the floor. She was hugging herself, half hoping that she would keep herself from falling apart then and there, and half hoping she would feel some kind of comfort. However, there was no comfort to be found anywhere in the castle at that moment. Voldemort's followers had blasted through Hogwarts' defenses easily, and lining either side of the Great Hall was the proof. _So many, _Hermione thought.

She paused for a moment at the feet of Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks. She felt a tug at her heart as she gazed over their lifeless faces. They could have been sleeping... but Hermione knew it was a sick and cruel joke to imagine them sleeping. They were gone, just like all the other fallen soldiers, never to speak or laugh or do anything ever again.

The finality of death overcame Hermione. How was it that one minute someone could be... and then another they could cease to be? Shaking her head and the deep, sorrowful thoughts from her mind, Hermione continued down the hall where she found the weeping Weasley family.

She stifled a gasp as she recognized Fred Weasley lying in the midst of red haired figures. Molly Weasley was on her knees cradling his head in her lap. Ginny's face was buried in her father's chest as she sobbed uncontrollably. Hermione approached cautiously, not wanting to invade their space, but not knowing where else she could go at the moment. She just knew she did not want to be alone, and Harry was no where to be found. She wanted Ron.. she wanted Ginny.. she wanted anybody who could comfort her and give her a sense of normalcy.

Ron sensed Hermione's presence without looking over at her, and draped an arm around her shoulders. His face was tear streaked, eyes swollen and red. Hermione leaned into his chest, grateful for the closeness, but not eager to say anything. She didn't want to upset him any more than he already was. Besides, she didn't mind the silence. A hug was more comforting than words any day.

And where was Harry? Surely he would have found them by now.

Hermione stood there with the Weasley family for a long while, watching as everyone took their turn to say goodbye to their fallen warrior. Hermione couldn't help but wipe her eyes as Charlie doubled over his brother, holding on the body for dear life. It was difficult to watch a big, strong man such as Charlie break down and cry without any restraints. He sobbed into Fred's unmoving chest for several minutes until all of his energy had dissipated. He then sat back on his heels and stared at his brother's body in silence.

Finally, Hermione could not stand it any longer. She squeezed Ron's hand once before sliding out from under his arm and slipping away from the Weasley scene. She had no idea where she was headed, but she had to leave. _Air_. She needed air.

Unable to look at any more of the dead, Hermione walked with her gaze fixed on the entrance to the Great Hall. She passed through the foyer and stepped out into the courtyard, squeezing her way between two of the stone giants. The cool air was relieving as it swept over her; She inhaled deeply and took a seat on a large chuck of stone that she imagined had been blasted off one of the towers.

Hermione pulled her beaded bag off from around her neck and flipped it over in her hand. She silently considered everything that was still concealed within it; she had extra clothes for herself, as well as for harry and Ron, several books, some food she had nicked from Aberforth's house, and some basic potions. She frowned. There was nothing in her bag that could take her mind off the terrible scene that had unfolded moments before. Instead of placing it on her neck again, she clutched it in her fist.

She was not alone. It seemed that a few others shared her desire to get away from the depressing atmosphere back in the Great Hall. A couple sat, heads leaning together, on the opposite side of the courtyard and a young man (Hermione wasn't sure who) was slowly making his way around the perimeter of the area, kicking small bits of rubble out of his way as he went.

And then, out of no where, Hermione heard a voice. She looked up quickly just in time to see Professor Wood sprinting toward the castle. He was calling over and over again as he ran, but Hermione could not make out what he was saying.

"They're coming!" she heard when he was finally within earshot. "The Death Eaters are coming!"

Hermione's heart fell and she slowly got to her feet. Professor Wood streaked passed her toward the Great Hall to alert the Headmistress, and she shakily drew her wand. She strained her gaze on the horizon, searching for any sign of the Death Eaters. It had been a foolish notion to believe the fighting was over when Voldemort called back his followers... Foolish indeed. Once they realized Harry would never turn himself over, surely they would return for more slaughter.

It was several moments before she saw them. At first they merely formed a black line that dissolved into view on the horizon, but with every passing minute they grew closer and more visible. They marched along slowly, lead by a pale, bald leader and a large half giant that Hermione knew to be Hagrid.

Professor Wood returned to the courtyard, accompanied by Headmistress McGonagall and several others. Hermione heard the footsteps creeping up behind her, but could not make herself turn around; Her eyes were fixed straight ahead on the approaching crowd. Her gaze landed on Hagrid and she realized that he was carrying something in his arms... _No. _It was some_one_.

"Who is that Hagrid's carrying?" Hermione heard Neville's voice behind her.

Hermione squinted her eyes; It was difficult for her to see in the blinding light of the day.

"I can't tell yet," Hermione whispered absentmindedly.

The crowd was less than one hundred meters away. Hermione could make out Nagini's form slithering around Voldemort's feet and her heart jumped suddenly. Nagini was the last Horcrux. If only she could get close enough... but even then, she had nothing to kill it with. She returned her gaze to the figure in Hagrid's arms.

It was clearly a male, dressed in jeans and a T-shirt. He had short, dark hair that blended in with Hagrid's coat and a pair of glasses that were sliding off his face. Hermione realized only a split second before Voldemort spoke who it was in Hagrid's arms, and her mouth fell open in a silent scream.

"HARRY POTTER... IS DEAD!" Voldemort announced proudly, a twisted smile making its way across his face.

"NO!" Ginny's scream echoed over the crowd as she darted forward. Arthur sprang after her, grabbing her by the shoulders and restraining her. He would not let her be killed as well.

"Let.. me.. go!" she cried between sobs.

Arthur wrestled with his daughter and whispered sharply in her ear, "There's nothing you can do!"

"Foolish girl!" Voldemort cried with a wide sweep of his hand. "Harry Potter _is_ dead."

Ginny glanced back at Hagrid's form and the lifeless corpse he carried in his arms. She blinked hard, forcing the tears in her eyes to fall down her face, and was able to make out the glasses perched on the figure's face. There was no doubt about it; It was Harry Potter in Hagrid's arms.

"Your hero, your Chosen One fell at the hand of Lord Voldemort whilst trying to save himself," Voldemort continued, stepping even farther into the courtyard. "What a pity... so many of you gave your lives for him, when all he wanted was to save himself."

The courtyard erupted immediately; cries of despair rang out from the defenders of Hogwarts, while the death eaters laughed and celebrated in their victory.

"NO! HARRY! NOT HARRY!" cried a chorus of voices.

"SILENCE!" Voldemort cried and silence quickly fell over the crowd. "Your Chosen One was nothing more than a delusional boy whose reputation far exceeded him. Harry Potter did not care about any of you!

But I, Lord Voldemort, do care! The time has come for you to join me... JOIN ME!"

No one spoke. No one moved... except for Hermione. She slowly took a step backwards, away from Voldemort and the Death Eaters. And then she took another. As Voldemort continued to beckon at the crowd, Hermione slowly made her way toward the castle entrance, never once lowering her wand. From the moment she had seen Harry's lifeless body, she had known what was coming. Voldemort would expect everyone to convert.

Everyone, that is, of pureblood status. The half bloods might get away with being slaves, or something of an equally degrading nature, but the muggleborns would surely be killed. She could not stay, even though she would have been happy to remain and fight. She had a plan, and most of that plan involved not dying. The other part of her plan involved ensuring that the final horcrux and Voldemort were both destroyed. There were only three people who knew about the horcruxes, and now one of them was dead. If Hermione and Ron died, however valiantly, it was possible that no one would be able to defeat Voldemort.

"We will never join you!" a voice cried.

"And who do we have here?" Voldemort questioned curiously.

Hermione watched in horror as Neville Longbottom stepped forward. "Neville," he answered. "Neville Longbottom."

"And what would your blood status be?"

Neville stuttered. "P-pureblood."

Voldemort smiled and extended his arms widely. "You have no reason to worry then, boy. You will make an excellent Death Eater."

"Like hell I will!" Neville yelled and raised his wand. "I'd rather die."

Voldemort sighed. "Such a waste. Let it be known to all that Lord Voldemort is a merciful ruler and he does grant last wishes. AVADA KEDAVRA!"

There were several horrified screams as a jet of green light shot out of the end of Voldemort's wand and hit Neville square in the chest. He crumpled to the ground and did not move again.

Hermione felt like she was going to be sick. She quickened her pace, not caring now if she drew attention to herself, and slipped into the castle. She turned on her heel just as an explosion of magic and angry voices erupted outside. As she sprinted down the corridor, she was not surprised to find that many people had the same idea. After all, it wasn't like they had much of a choice: Convert, die, or flee.

For Hermione, there wasn't an option. She had to survive, and she would. She had to avenge Harry and destroy Voldemort, and she would.

At least, that was the plan she was formulating as she ran.

Hermione stifled a scream as a jet of red magic shot passed her head and collided against the stone wall. She turned on her heal, wand raised as a black-cloaked Death Eater made their way down the corridor towards her.

"Petrificus totalus!" Hermione screamed. Her spell hit the Death Eater square in the chest and he fell over with a sickening 'thud' onto the marble floor.

Without hesitation, Hermione turned away and broke into a sprint once more.

The escape route she had planned was simple: Make it to the west exit of the castle, follow the trail passed Hagrid's hut into the Forbidden Forest, and make it outside Hogwarts' wards so that she could disapparate. In her head it sounded so simple and so flawless... she should have known something was bound to go wrong.

She rounded a corner, sliding on the marble floor, and slammed into someone. She lost her footing, and was exceedingly grateful when the person steadied her. Grateful, that is, until she realized who stood before her.

The man before her was tall and lean, dressed in a black dress shirt and slacks. His unmistakeable blonde hair was hanging messily over his eyes and his mouth was hanging open unattractively. There was a look on his face that Hermione had only seen twice... the first time was when she punched him in face third year and the second was when Harry had rescued him from the Fiendfyre earlier that day. He looked terrified.

Hermione scowled. "Out of my way Malfoy."

"You can't run," he said coolly. "They will find you. And when they do, they will kill you."

Hermione was furious. "Thanks, Malfoy. As if I didn't know that. Now if you're done wasting my time, get the hell out of my way."

She made to pass him, but he moved to block her path.

"Why even bother running when you know there's no chance of you making it out of here?" he asked in the same, cool voice as before.

Hermione furrowed her brow and raised her wand to point it at his chest. "Get out of my way, Malfoy, or I'll remove you from it."

He cocked an eyebrow. "You didn't answer my question."

Hermione huffed, bringing a hand up to massage her temples. She was losing her patience, and didn't have time to waste arguing with Draco Malfoy of all people.

"Because, I know I _will _make it out of here... if you would be so kind as to get the bloody hell out of my way," Hermione growled through her teeth. "If I had no chance of making it out, I would have stayed to fight."

Draco considered this. "And how do you plan on getting out?"

Hermione's face was flustered. "Why do you want to know? Interested in getting yourself out, Malfoy?"

When he did not respond immediately, Hermione guessed that her presumption was correct.

"You've got to be kidding me," she said, rolling her eyes.

"Is it that hard to believe, mudblood?" Malfoy spat.

"Yes, actually. What happened? Do you feel bad that the man who saved your life... more than once, I might add... died at the hands of your precious Voldemort? Or did you finally realize that Voldemort's idea of a perfect wizarding world isn't everything you expected it would be?" Hermione yelled, all of her anger and frustration pouring out of her.

Draco did not answer. He seemed unable to. It might have been that Hermione surprised him with her sudden outburst of anger. Or it might have been that even _he_ did not know his reasoning for wishing to leave.

When he did not answer, Hermione pressed on. "If you would please make up your mind or let me by before we both die, it would be greatly appreciated."

Reluctantly, Malfoy stepped aside to let her pass. "Lead the way, m- Granger."

She watched curiously for a moment, unsure of whether she should pass. He could easily hex her... or kill her... from behind and she would have no way to defend herself. She had to admit, his behavior was strange, but she did not have time to analyze the bizarre antics of Draco Malfoy. She had to get out of the castle, and fast. With complete disregard of her uneasy feelings, Hermione marched passed Malfoy and made her way down the corridor.

To her utter amazement, he followed.

* * *

**A/N: So this is my second attempt at a Dramione, and I wanted something completely different than anything I've written... therefore, the dark side has prevailed. I spent a lot more time than I usually do on this chapter, trying to make it perfect, but I'm sure there's still tons of mistakes. PLEASE review and let me know what you think. I check my account at least 5 times a day to see if there are any new posted reviews and I sincerely appreciate every one of them! Chapter two is already half way written, so hopefully there will be an update soon.**


	2. An Ally

They walked quickly down corridor after corridor, both with their wands drawn and ready for an attack. They could hear the fighting, even though they were several stories up, and Hermione knew they would run into trouble eventually. However, what she was more worried about at the moment, was her companion's intentions. Why the hell would Draco Malfoy want to escape with her, even if it was freedom that he sought? Surely he would prefer to go it alone than to be in the presence of a muggleborn.

"So what's the plan?" Draco finally said, breaking the silence.

Hermione, who was still considering what ulterior motives Draco Malfoy could have, frowned.

"Escape," she said flatly.

"Great plan," he retorted. "How exactly do you plan to do that?"

Hermione was losing her patience. "Find an exit. Now shut up and let me think."

She had unintentionally slowed her pace, and was now hardly moving at all. Draco obliged and was quiet for a long moment, but seeing the frown return to Hermione's face, decided to speak up once more.

"You can't get out the front entrance to the castle because that's where we just came from," Draco spat. "And all the secret passages were sealed off by Snape."

"The Room of Requirement," Hermione said quickly. "Dumbledore's Army has been using it to get in and out of Hogsmeade. We can take the passage back to Aberforth's and then..."

Draco shook his head sternly. "You obviously don't know that much about Fiendfyre. I seriously doubt the Room of Requirement will work now, and you'd waste a lot of time going all the way there just to find out it's a dead end."

Hermione huffed. As much as she hated to admit it, Draco was probably right. "The East exit heading to the Green Houses then. We can run along the border of the forest to Hagrid's hut and then..."

Draco shook his head again. "I don't know if you're aware, but you just led us up four floors of the castle. Why the hell would you want to go all the way to the first floor? I thought we were running _away_ from the fight?"

Hermione face was blotchy and her eyes burned with rage. "IF YOU HAVE A BLOODY BETTER PLAN, SPIT IT OUT ALREADY!" she growled.

Draco glared at her. "I would watch how you talk to me, you filthy mudblood. I can just as easily kill you, or turn you in."

"Do you think I haven't thought of that?" Hermione asked, inching her way toward Malfoy. "I don't know what you're playing at, but you haven't killed me yet, and I don't think you'd have it in you anyway. If you wanted to turn me in, you would have jumped at my plan to head toward the greenhouses."

The anger in Draco's expression suggested that if she pushed much more, he would probably hit her, so Hermione reluctantly backed away. She stared at him for a long time, her eyes burning into his, and was surprised that he did not break eye contact when he answered.

"I want to get out," Draco spat. "But since you're too focused on me and my intentions to form a damned plan, I'll enlighten you a bit. I could have escaped by myself, but if I was caught, I would be tried as a traitor and surely executed. Voldemort doesn't take kindly to traitors. However, if I'm caught with you, I will use you as my alibi. I will say that I went after you to turn you in. At least, that way, I can't be viewed as a rebel. Understand?"

Draco's words were cold as ice, and Hermione felt a chill run down her spine. He was just using her as a cover in case they were caught. If she took him at his word, he wasn't planning on killing her or turning her in. But could she possibly trust him?

"So," Hermione started slowly. "If we get out alive, that's the end of it. You won't turn me in? Or kill me?"

Draco shook his head. "I have no intention to kill you, as much as I'd like to. And, like I said, I'll only turn you in if we're caught."

Hermione nodded her head silently. She had, at least for as long as it took them to escape, an ally. Feeling that it was the right thing to do, Hermione thrust her hand out in front of her and stared daringly at Draco.

"Shake on it," she demanded.

Draco's lip curled upward in distaste as he glared at Hermione's outstretched hand. It was bad enough that he was having to work with her, but to touch her... the thought was almost enough to make him change his mind about escaping. He would rather be Voldemort's minion that shake the hand of a filthy mudblood... wouldn't he?

After a final second of indecision, Draco reached forward and grasped Hermione's hand with his own, squeezing hard. If he had intended to inflict pain, he was disappointed, because Hermione's serious look never wavered. As quickly as he grabbed her hand, he let it go and wiped his hand on his robes as though to wipe off dirt of germs. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"So, do you have a better plan?" Hermione asked.

"Actually, I do."

...x...x...x...

Ginny's eyes burned with tears, and the harder she fought, the more blurry her vision became. She blinked hard as she yelled another curse, the magic bursting forth and hitting her opponent square in the chest. However, there was no time to stop and celebrate her victory as the figure slumped to the ground because another pursuer had just attacked from the right.

Ron was at her left, currently fighting off a masked death eater. As the fighting continued, Ginny inched toward her brother until they were practically back to back. She could hardly find the strength to fight anymore, but she wanted them all dead: every death eater, and especially Voldemort. They had taken the only man she ever loved, and as weak as her limbs currently felt, her heart cried out for vengeance.

"Ginny," Ron muttered in between curses. "You have to go."

Ginny shook her head, blinking more tears from her eyes, and hit her opponent with a hex.

"You have to go find mum and dad," Ron urged through gritted teeth. His masked opponent was turning out to be more than a fair match for him.

"I'm... not... leaving," she choked as she turned to face Ron's attacker. Two against one was hardly fair, but Ginny knew better than to trouble herself with something as trivial as 'fairness' at the moment.

"Do as I say," Ron snapped. "Remember what Harry told you about Nagini being the last Horcrux?"

Ginny leaped out of the way of a stream of green sparks and shot a countercurse at the death eater. His body went stiff as soon as the magic hit him, and he keeled over backwards onto the stone floor. Fighting continued around them, but for the moment, Ginny and Ron were unoccupied.

"Do as I say, Ginny. You have to get out of here. I'll come too, but first I have to find Hermione."

Ginny stared into her brother's eyes. The look in them was urgent, pleading. Ginny knew at once why he was asking her to leave; He had already lost his brother and his best friend, and he did not want to lose her as well. She opened her mouth to speak, but closed it again. If she turned her back on Ron now, it might be the last time she ever saw him.

She rushed forward and wrapped her arms around his middle. He squeezed her tightly for a moment, but then pushed her away.

"Run, Ginny," he urged.

She nodded, and without another word, turned on her heel and ran as hard as she could. She jumped and dodged several spells, but her eyes were set forward, on the entrance to the hall. Once she broke away from the fighting it would be easy for her to disappear. If she happened upon her mum and dad, she would disappear with them, but her main priority was to stay alive. After all, how much help would she be if she was dead.

She had just reached the entrance to the hall when she screamed. A horrible pain had just erupted from her left shoulder and as she stumbled forward she reached up to apply pressure to the wound. She jumped sideways out of the doorway to shield herself from another curse and removed her hand from her aching shoulder. She was hardly surprised to find it covered in bright, red blood.

...x...x...x...

"We'll fly out," Draco explained.

They had started down the corridor once more, this time Draco leading. Hermione followed angrily, staring so fiercely at the back of his head that she half expected his hair to burst into flames.

"But Draco, I can't fly," she whined.

He stopped short and turned on his heel. "Are you a witch or not? Besides, you seemed pretty damned capable in the Room of Requirement."

Hermione bit her lip. "Well, it's not that I can't fly... I don't like heights."

Draco's eyes grew in disbelief. "You're a nutter... you're more afraid of heights than you are of being killed."

Hermione sucked her teeth. He _did _have a point. Was she really willing to risk being caught trying to sneak out another way because she didn't like riding brooms?

When Hermione did not argue, Draco continued, "And since you've yet to come up with a better plan, I say we do it my way."

She rolled her eyes. "You can't stand to not be in charge can you?"

He shrugged. "Leadership suits me. Now hurry up mudblood, before someone sees us."

Draco had left his broom back at the mansion, so there was no way he could simply 'Accio' it to him. And if he tried to summon any random broom, there was a chance that so many would come charging at them that they would get injured in the process. Therefore, it was by process of elimination that Draco began to search the corridors for a broom closet.

The only closets he knew the exact locations of were the ones near the dungeons, because he had often found himself inside them with Pansy Parkinson or other willing Slytherin girls to snog. He was many things, but he was not a public kisser. However, he had never bothered to note the locations of any other closets around the castle. After all, the only person who needed to use them was Mr. "Filth" the squib caretaker and possible some of the other professors.

"I think there's one down this next corridor. Take a right!" Hermione urged.

To her surprise, Draco veered to the right and she followed him down the corridor. He may have liked playing leader, but she was glad to see that he would still listen to her. He didn't want to be a tyrant, just in charge. Hermione was so carried away with her tiny revelation that she failed to notice when Draco stopped dead in his tracks and she slammed into his back.

She opened her mouth to apologize, but another voice called down the corridor first, "Draco, Draco, Draco."

Hermione felt immediately as though she had swallowed an ice cube; an unnatural coldness started in her chest and spread throughout her body as she recognized the voice of Bellatrix Lestrange. She was immediately grateful for her short, thin stature and she stood carefully behind Malfoy, saying a silent thanks to the cover that his flowing cloak provided.

"What are you doing up here, Bella?" Draco asked, keeping his voice smooth and level.

She cackled. "I could ask you the same thing, dear. Come, now. Your parents are looking for you."

Hermione could hear the echo of Bellatrix's shoes clicking on the stone floor. _Don't come closer, don't come closer... _she thought.

"I'll be there in a moment," Draco assured her. "I just had to collect a few things."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. We musn't keep the Dark Lord waiting," Bellatrix ushered, the clicking sound of her heels growing louder.

_Don't come closer, don'tcomecloser, don'tcomecloser..._ Hermione thought as quickly as she could.

"I'll be there in a moment, Bella," Draco said flatly.

The clicking of Bellatrix's heels stopped as she considered this. "Very well," she spat. "Just be quick about it."

Hermione's hands were shaking, but a wave of relief washed over her as she heard Bellatrix turn away and head back down the corridor. Draco remained still, watching her as she went, not wanting to address Hermione until his aunt had disappeared.

"Come on," Draco whispered as Bellatrix made her way to the end of the hall. He turned, grabbing Hermione by the arm, and headed in the opposite direction.

"Oh and Draco..." Bellatrix's voice called, but quickly cut off. "Draco, what are you doing?"

Draco stopped in his tracks and Hermione tried to march ahead, but he still had a firm grip on her arm.

"Draco," she whispered harshly, "Let go."

"DRACO!" Bella wailed. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH THAT MUDBLOOD?"

Draco looked from his aunt to Hermione. His eyes were glazed over, as though he was seeing without seeing what was going on. He was distant, and Hermione knew what was coming. He would turn her over to his aunt so that she could be executed.

"Draco," she whispered again. "Let me go. _Please_."

Bella was heading towards them, her wand drawn, with an evil smile making its way across her face.

"I was..." Draco started, but his words were lost.

"Kill her, Draco," Bella encouraged. "And do it quickly. We must get back downstairs."

Hermione reached to draw her wand with her free hand, intent on cursing Bellatrix. As much as she hated that woman for everything she had ever done, including torturing her for information at the Malfoy's mansion, Hermione could not find it in herself to say those two, unforgivable words: _Avada Kedavra_. They even sounded wrong as she thought about them. She wrapped her fingers around the handle of her wand, trying to decide which hex was more difficult to counter, when Draco moved.

His wand was already drawn and in his hand, but instead of pointing it at Hermione, he pointed it at Bellatrix. A flash of red sparks shot out of its end, without him having to speak the curse, but Bella leaped out of the way just in time to avoid them.

"Draco, what are you doing? Kill her!" Bellatrix wailed. "Avada Kedavra!"

Draco released Hermione's arm and shoved her down. The green magic blew passed her and disappeared down the corridor. Hermione, who had hardly registered that Draco had just saved her life, watched as Draco continued to attack, not even pausing for breath.

After a minute, she regained her wits and drew her wand.

"Petrificus totalus!" Hermione yelled.

She watched in triumph as Bellatrix's body instantly went rigid and she keeled over backwards onto the stone floor.

"Malfoy, come on! We have to go!" Hermione ushered as she pulled him by the sleeve.

"Just give me a second," he said, holding a hand up. He made his way cautiously toward Bellatrix's body and nudged her with his foot. She was stunned, her eyes gazing blankly ahead as Draco knelt over her.

"Obliviate," Draco said.

When the spell was complete, Draco turned back to Hermione. She was looking at him curiously.

"When she wakes, she won't remember that she saw you. She won't remember that she saw me helping you."

"That's.. smart."

"You sound surprised," Draco said with a smirk. "Now let's go."

...x...x...x...

**I sincerely apologize for the late update. I usually don't take so long, but I decided to take a break from writing to read the Divergent series. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and if you have any thoughts you'd like to share, PLEASE review and let me know what you think. I'm still really new to fanfic writing, and without feedback it's hard for me to learn and grow as a writer. Also, I'm almost finished with my first fic so I'll be devoting a lot more time to this one very shortly. Thank you for your love and support :) **


	3. 3 Escape

Draco wrenched the door of the broom closet open; Hermione could tell by the murderous look on his face that he was angry it had taken them so long to find one. The closet housed buckets of varying sizes, a few chemicals used for cleaning, feather dusters, and at the very back, several old brooms that were covered with a thick layer of dust.

Draco frowned as he grabbed two. These brooms were so ancient they had been converted from flying brooms to brooms used for cleaning. They would not fly half as fast as his Firebolt... he almost wondered if they would fly at all. Begrudgingly, he handed one of the brooms to Hermione after knocking off a majority of the dust and mounted his.

"Ready?" he asked, looking from the broom between his legs to Hermione.

Hermione held the broom at an arm's length, her nose crinkled in disgust as she looked at it like it was something poisonous.

"Merlin's balls, Granger, would you just mount the damned thing!" Draco snapped, his patience wearing thin.

Hermione did as she was told, but not without shooting him a dirty look. The broom felt foreign to her, as brooms always had. She may have been a champion when it came to academics, but she had never been very successful at physical activities. Flying was no different, as it involved a great deal of balance and dexterity. She possessed neither.

She copied Draco as he kicked off the ground and his broom rose into the air. She wobbled for a moment, gripping onto the broom handle so hard that her knuckles turned white, but eventually caught her balance. She gazed down at the floor, now several feet below her, and felt a wave of triumph.

Draco leaned forward, Hermione following suit, and they soared down the hallway. Draco made a tight turn at the end of the corridor, making it look easy, but as Hermione approached the adjoining corridor, she slowed. She turned the handle of the broom to the left, and veered slightly, but it wasn't enough. The front of the broom scraped the wall ahead, and Hermione's side was slammed into the stone. She kicked off the wall to push herself back to the middle of the corridor and leaned forward to catch up with Draco.

"Watch it, Granger!" Draco called over his shoulder. "If you drive like you fly, London had better watch out."

Hermione furrowed her brow, but it wasn't at Draco's insult. What did Draco know about driving? She was sure he had never seen a car in his life; After all, wizards had no use for cars when they had more efficient, inexpensive ways to travel.

Hermione swerved so that she had a clear view ahead of Draco and saw that they were in a dead ended corridor. There was a wide window at the end that overlooked the black lake, and Hermione realized a second too late what they were doing.

"Expulso!" Draco yelled as he pointed his wand at the window.

With the sound of a small explosion, the window burst outwards and glittering shards of glass fell towards the Earth. Draco ducked a bit to avoid hitting his head as he soared out the window. Hermione closed her eyes as she passed through the gaping hole, and felt a lurch in her stomach when she opened them again.

Where the floor of the corridor had previously been, there was now nothing. At least a hundred feet separated her from the ground; She instantly gripped the broom handle tighter. She looked back at the castle and saw a swarm of people wearing black cloaks. Some were moving. Others were perfectly still. And, Hermione realized with horror, that some of them were looking in their direction.

"Draco!" she called nervously.

"I know," he called. "Just keep flying."

Hermione dared to look back once more and saw that two death eaters had broken away from the others and were now flying toward them. They were still far behind, but as slow as Draco and Hermione's brooms were flying, they would catch up to them in no time.

Knowing she had to do something, Hermione let go of the broom with one hand and drew her wand. With only one hand helping her hold her balance, she felt extremely unstable. If she fell, at least her death would be quick. Hopefully painless. She looked back and pointed her wand at the approaching death eaters.

Shooting at a moving target is difficult. Shooting at a moving target while you yourself are moving, is even more so. Hermione was learning the latter as she attempted to shoot spells at their attackers, who were getting closer with every passing second. When several of her spells missed, Hermione gave up and turned to see where she was going.

It took her a minute for her to find Draco. In her attempt to thwart the death eaters, Hermione had veered severely to the right and had gained altitude. She swerved to the side so that she could catch up with Draco and when she was only a few feet away from him, she pointed her wand at him.

"Granger... what are you doing?" he stuttered, surprised to find her wand pointed at him.

"Trust me," she said.

...x...x...x...

Ginny ran down the corridor, stopping periodically to catch her breath. She was losing a lot of blood from the wound in her shoulder, and even though it might have been futile, she was headed to the hospital wing. Even if no one was there, she might be able to find some Dittany... or at least a way to bandage the wound.

She stopped once more, her vision swimming in front of her. She felt like she would faint at any moment, but despite how miserable she felt, she forced herself down the hall. She _would_ reach the hospital, or she would pass out trying.

Finally, after what seemed like ages, she found the hospital wing. Two vaguely familiar men were standing guard, perhaps to protect the people inside or perhaps to keep people out. She could not remember from where she knew them, but their concerned faces seemed familiar to her. At the sight of her, one of them ran forward and assisted her into the hall.

Ginny's stomach turned when she looked around the hall. Many of the beds were occupied. Some of the people in the beds were not moving. Others were hollering in pain. Madam Pomfrey was scurrying throughout the room, tending to as many of the wounded as she could. Some younger students were helping her; some were taking wet towels to the patients, others were wrapping limbs until Madam Pomfrey could tend to them herself, some were passing out tiny cups fills with what Ginny assumed to be a healing potion. Ginny, feeling that she was safe enough to let down her guard, collapsed onto one of the beds, gritting her teeth in pain as her shoulder hit the mattress.

Ginny gazed up at the ceiling; the edges of her vision seemed darker than usual, and she half wondered if she was dying. She probably was, and probably would if no one tended to her quickly. But she was so weak, she could hardly call for the nurse. The noise of the room around her seemed muffled and far away as she closed her eyes. Her shoulder throbbed and she imagined more and more of her blood spilling out onto the bed beneath her beneath her with every heartbeat...

"Can you hear me?"

Ginny opened her eyes, her vision blurry. The owner of the voice was a tiny first year; he had blonde hair and glasses and the robes he wore were slightly too small.

"Drink this," he offered, handing her one of the tiny cups.

Ginny did not, could not lean up to drink the medicine, but rather opened her mouth slightly and allowed the liquid to fall into her mouth. She swallowed hard and closed her eyes again, the chaotic scene of the hospital wing disappearing once more. However, the noise that had been muffled and far away was now louder and more clear. Ginny furrowed her brows slightly as she felt the pain in her shoulder dull; It did not disappear, but she could tell the difference from before. She no longer felt like she was dying, but rather that she had taken a beater to the arm.

Maybe she wouldn't die after all.

...x...x...x...

The disillusionment charm Hermione placed on Draco worked instantly and he disappeared into the blue sky. She, however, was left completely visible and vulnerable. Several streams of magic shot passed her, some missing by mere inches, and she squealed. She could not die, not here, not now. They were so close to escaping. Nervously, Hermione turned her wand to point it at herself, and muttered the same disillusionment charm.

Her heart dropped when nothing happened. She had never tried to place herself under the disillusionment charm... maybe it wasn't possible. Perhaps she could get Draco to place the spell on her, at least until they reached their destination. Would he even do it?

"Draco?" she called, not knowing where he was.

He did not answer immediately.

"Draco!" she called again. "Can you see me?"

Draco turned around, searching the sky anxiously. He could see the two death eaters that had been on their trail slowing their pace in confusion. After a moment, one of them turned to head back to the castle and the other only followed after another minute. Draco searched the air around him, looking for his temporary companion, but he did not see her. A flicker of excitement leaped in his chest.

He had done it. He had escaped. He was now free to do as he pleased, without having to worry about pleasing his father or following Voldemort. He could hardly believe it. As many times as he had tried to break away from his family and from Voldemort, he had finally done it. The crackpot Dumbledore had tried to tell him that the light side would be able to hide him, to protect him. But Draco had never believed him. Now, he could almost taste the freedom as he flew toward the forbidden forest.

What was more, he no longer needed Hermione's help. He was in the clear. He could just as easily leave her here and disapparate alone when he reached the edge of the wards. After all, she was just a mudblood. And they shook on it; If they escaped alive, which they had, that would be the end of it.

"Draco?" Hermione called once more.

Should he answer her? He didn't want to. He would much rather have disappeared without saying another word to her. It would be easier that way. That way, there would be no awkward goodbyes.

_Goodbye?_ he thought. What the bloody hell did he care about a goodbye?

"No," he called reluctantly. "I can't see you."

Hermione, who had not looked back at the castle to see that the pursuing death eaters had retreated, smiled.

"Now where are we going?" Hermione asked. "I can't exactly follow you."

"You can probably reverse the disillusion now," Draco said, slowing his pace some. Hermione's voice was coming from somewhere behind him.

"But I can't see you," she whined.

Draco slapped his hand to his forehead. "Sometimes, Granger, I swear you can't be as smart as they say. Take it off yourself first, and I'll come to you."

Hermione bit her bottom lip. Why hadn't she thought of that first? It was obviously the logical thing to do. How was it then, that Draco had thought of it first? She felt her cheeks burning red as she pointed her wand at herself once more. She refused to be outsmarted by such an arrogant, self-centered arse, even though it was _his_ plan they had employed to escape.

"Now, come here, Draco," Hermione called, searching the air around her to no avail.

Hermione felt the broom beneath her suddenly leap upward, and she grabbed hold of the handle shakily. It rocked again, this time to the left and she fought to keep her balance.

"Draco!" she screamed.

Someone nearby, Draco erupted into laughter.

"You're going to make me fall," Hermione scolded.

"Then I'd only laugh harder," Draco said as he flew to Hermione's side. "I'm on your left."

"You'll be lucky if I reverse the charm, and don't hex you instead," she spat, pointing her wand to her left.

Draco's form dissolved into view after Hermione muttered the charm reversal and stared at Hermione awkwardly.

"What?" Hermione finally snapped after a long moment.

"We're outside the wards," he assured her. "Let's land."

Draco dove toward the forest, leaving Hermione hovering in midair. She followed, chewing on the inside of her cheek. They dodged tree branches on the way down, eventually landing in a tiny clearing. Draco immediately tossed his broom aside, and Hermione did the same. She had a strange urge to kiss the ground like she had seen many times in movies, but thought better of it. But she was definitely relieved to be on solid ground once more.

"How did you know when we passed the wards?" Hermione demanded immediately.

Draco shrugged. "You were too busy removing the disillusionment charm. The wards leave traces; sometimes you can feel them. Sometimes you can see them."

Hermione frowned. She did not enjoy the fact that Draco could do something she could not. He could identify where the wards began and ended and she could not. However, he was correct when he said that she had been busy. Certainly she could have identified the wards had she not been busy making Draco visible once more. After all, she could do anything that arrogant oak could do.

"Well, we made it," Hermione said with a sigh of relief.

Draco said nothing, but nodded. _Oh no..._ he thought. _Here it comes_.

"Where will you go?" Hermione asked nervously.

Draco swallowed hard. He had not thought about where he would go after he escaped. He had been so focused on getting out, that he had not even considered that they would actually make it.

"I don't know," he answered.

Hermione frowned. "Come with me."

Draco's eyes grew wide as he looked at the muggleborn. For a moment he thought he had misheard her, but the expectant look in her eyes told him that he had heard correctly. She wanted him to go with her. He swallowed once more and tasted bile.

"W-what?"

"I said come with me. We don't have to be friends. But seeings as you don't have a place to go and I do, I am offering it to you."

Draco bit the corner of his mouth and considered this. As much as he did not want to go with the mudblood, something in his gut was urging him on, telling him to accept her invitation. He would be safe, and he would have a place to stay. He would not constantly be on the run, sleeping in a different place every night.

"Where?" Draco asked shortly.

"Harry's house," Hermione said.

Draco felt his stomach turn as he heard Harry's name. The name stirred so many thoughts within Draco that he could hardly process them all: The boy that had been his nemesis throughout their years at school, the boy that had chosen to be friends with the blood traitor Weasley in stead of him, the boy who had always outmatched him in Quidditch, the Chosen One... The boy who had risked his life to save his friends time and time again, the boy who had gone toe to toe with Voldemort and beaten him on numerous occasions, the boy who had not left him, Draco, to die in the Room of Requirement, and the boy that had ultimately given his life in an attempt to save his friends and the wizarding world from Voldemort... even though it had been for nothing. He died; He gave his life while trying to make the world a better place.

How had Draco never seen it before? Harry Potter was such a good man. Even though he had never been presented with the situation, Draco doubted he would be able do half the things Harry Potter did. This realization made him feel sick. How could he possibly take refuge in Harry's house after treating him so badly for the last few years?

"I-" Draco started to say, but he lost the words on his tongue. The thoughts kept coming, more quickly now, and they started to overwhelm him.

Harry had been right all along, but Draco had been too blind to see. Voldemort was the enemy, as he had always been and always would be. The world that Voldemort envisioned was one of tyranny, in which the death eaters bent to his evil will and slaughtered innocent people just because they are different.

Draco shook his head. Where the bloody hell were all these thoughts coming from? He couldn't stand it anymore. He had to stop thinking about it...

"I can't," he said finally.

Hermione furrowed her brows. "Why not?"

"I just can't!" Draco said, his voice angry. "I said that once we got out, that was the end of it."

Hermione nodded slowly. She heard what Draco was saying, but something in her gut told her that he didn't mean it. It had to be the look in his eyes. They didn't match the angry tone of his voice; they were much softer. He looked worried.

"But Draco we've come all this way!" Hermione pleaded. She herself could hardly believe that she was trying to get him to accompany her. Any other day, she would have accepted his decline and moved on.

He shook his head. "No."

Hermione huffed, but she wasn't angry. "When will you learn that we are on the same side?"

Draco did not answer, but merely stared at the ground.

"Fine," Hermione said, giving up. "But when you change your mind, let me know."

"And how will I do that if I don't know where you are?" he asked curiously.

"Send a patronus," Hermione answered. "It will find me."

With a small 'pop' Hermione disappeared.

...x...x...x...

**Before anyone starts writing me hate mail, I want to apologize for leaving you with such a cliff hanger. I know it seems like things went south pretty quickly, but I promise I won't disappoint. Just hang in there... after all, this story is labeled with Draco/Hermione coupling. I'm already starting on Chapter 4, so hopefully I'll have an update within the week. Please, please, please review and let me know what you think! I still check my page daily to see if there are any new reviews and I'm so excited how many followers this story already has. Thanks to all of you who have stuck with me from the first chapter of my first fic. You don't know how much it means to me :) **


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